Directory

Kotlin |Java

class Directory

kotlin.Any
↳	android.provider.PeopleContract.Directory

Constants and utilities for registering and discovering People Directories.

A People Directory is an application (such as a VoIP calling or chat messaging service) that provides person and group identity definitions to the system.

For People Directory applications: To implement a People Directory, see "Implementing a People Directory" in PeopleContract.

For client applications: Clients can query CONTENT_URI to discover all registered and active directory applications currently installed on the device.

Summary

Constants
static String	`CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE` The MIME type of a `CONTENT_URI` subdirectory of a single People Directory.
static String	`CONTENT_TYPE` The MIME type of `CONTENT_URI` providing a directory of People Directories.
static String	`DIRECTORY_AUTHORITY` Column name for the authority of the People Directory application.
static String	`DIRECTORY_PROPERTY` Manifest property name that a `android.content.ContentProvider` must define in a `<property>` tag within its manifest declaration to register itself as a People Directory with the system.
static String	`PACKAGE_NAME` Column name for the package name of the application providing the People Directory.

Public methods
static Boolean	`notifyChange(context: Context, uri: Uri, queryArgs: Bundle?, cancellationSignal: CancellationSignal?)` Notifies the People Provider that specific records within a directory have changed, triggering a cache refresh and notifying observing client applications.
static Boolean	`requestRefresh(context: Context, cancellationSignal: CancellationSignal?)` Requests the system to refresh cached records across all registered People Directories.

Properties
static Uri	`CONTENT_URI` The content:// style URI for querying the list of registered People Directories.

Constants

CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE

Added in API level 10000

static val CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE: String

The MIME type of a CONTENT_URI subdirectory of a single People Directory.

Value: "vnd.android.cursor.item/people_directory"

CONTENT_TYPE

Added in API level 10000

static val CONTENT_TYPE: String

The MIME type of CONTENT_URI providing a directory of People Directories.

Value: "vnd.android.cursor.dir/people_directories"

DIRECTORY_AUTHORITY

Added in API level 10000

static val DIRECTORY_AUTHORITY: String

Column name for the authority of the People Directory application.

Type: TEXT

Value: "authority"

DIRECTORY_PROPERTY

Added in API level 10000

static val DIRECTORY_PROPERTY: String

Manifest property name that a android.content.ContentProvider must define in a <property> tag within its manifest declaration to register itself as a People Directory with the system.

Value: "android.content.PeopleDirectory"

PACKAGE_NAME

Added in API level 10000

static val PACKAGE_NAME: String

Column name for the package name of the application providing the People Directory.

Type: TEXT

Value: "package_name"

Public methods

notifyChange

Added in API level 10000

static fun notifyChange(
    context: Context, 
    uri: Uri, 
    queryArgs: Bundle?, 
    cancellationSignal: CancellationSignal?
): Boolean

Notifies the People Provider that specific records within a directory have changed, triggering a cache refresh and notifying observing client applications.

For People Directory applications: People Directory applications should invoke this method whenever a person or group record is added, updated, or removed. This method must be invoked by the application package that owns the directory provider. Specifying the exact URI and matching query arguments allows the system to efficiently update its cache and backfill data for interested clients.

For client applications: Clients do not invoke this method. When a People Directory application calls this method, the system refreshes cache entries and notifies any android.database.ContentObserver registered on CONTENT_NOTIFICATION_URI or query-specific notification URIs.

Parameters
`context`	Context: The `Context` used to access the `ContentResolver`. This value cannot be `null`.
`uri`	Uri: The URI corresponding to the modified data (for example, `Persons.CONTENT_URI` or `Groups.CONTENT_URI`). This value cannot be `null`.
`queryArgs`	Bundle?: A query arguments `Bundle` constructed using `Persons.Query.Builder` or `Groups.Query.Builder` containing selection criteria that match the modified data records. This value may be `null`.
`cancellationSignal`	CancellationSignal?: An optional `CancellationSignal` to cancel the refresh operation, or `null`.

Return
`Boolean`	`true` if the change notification was sent and refresh initiated, `false` if the calling package is not a registered People Directory or if the query arguments were null or empty.

requestRefresh

Added in API level 10000

static fun requestRefresh(
    context: Context, 
    cancellationSignal: CancellationSignal?
): Boolean

Requests the system to refresh cached records across all registered People Directories.

For People Directory applications: People Directory applications can call this method after significant, large-scale state changes (such as completing an initial account synchronization or resetting database storage) to prompt the system to rebuild its directory caches. This method must be invoked by the application package that owns the directory provider.

This method is an expensive operation and should not be used as a general alternative to notifyChange(Context,Uri,Bundle,CancellationSignal) for incremental changes.

Note that this request acts as a hint to the system; the exact timing and execution of cache rebuilding depend on system conditions such as available memory and overall device state, and immediate execution is not guaranteed.

For client applications: Clients do not invoke this method.

Parameters
`context`	Context: The `Context` used to access the `ContentResolver`. This value cannot be `null`.
`cancellationSignal`	CancellationSignal?: An optional `CancellationSignal` to cancel the refresh request, or `null`.

Return
`Boolean`	`true` if the refresh request was successfully accepted, `false` if the calling package is not a registered People Directory or the request could not be processed.

Properties

CONTENT_URI

Added in API level 10000

static val CONTENT_URI: Uri

The content:// style URI for querying the list of registered People Directories.